Strip-feed regulator and aligner



Nov. 19, 19.29. E. K. BOTTLE STRIP FEED REGULATOR AND ALIGNER Original Filed March 14, 1925 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES EDWARD IKIRBY BOTTLE, OI ELMIRA', NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SALES BOOK COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORATION OF ONTARIO,

CANADA STRIP-FEED REGULATOR AND ALIGNER Application filed. March 14, 1925, Serial N0. 15,613. Renewed March 20, 1929.

This invention relates to feed regulating devices and with respect to its more specific features to devices for regulating the manual feeding of one strip, or a series of superposed strips into position for being written upon.

One of the objects of the invention is the rovision of a simple device whereby manually efiectedfeed movement of a predetermined amount is prompty signalled to the operator. I

Another object is the provision of a practical device whereby a strip or strips may be manually given successive feed movements with assurance that the writing sections will register in correct writing position after such movements.

Another object of the invention isthe provision of a simple, eflicient andinexpensive device wherewith accuracy of feeding and of registration of superposed strips is promoted.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the reliable and accurate feeding and registration of relatively loosely held strips and so that the structures of the strips largely participate in effecting the improved results.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in part appear herein- 1 after.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of. construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims. I

' For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, illustrating the feed regulating and strip registering instrumentalities of the apparatus; I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly sectional illustrating a portion of the regulating device in detail;

Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view of a portion of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 illustrates the apparatus of Fig. 1, modified by association of a plurality of the feed regulating and strip registering instrumentalities.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, there is illustrated a frame which may comprise one or more legs as 1 resting upon the floor, supporting a pair of rigid parallel horizontal bars 2 joined by a heavy cross-piece 3, the bars 2 being suitably braced and connected to the cross-piece 3 to form a reliable rigid structure. The cross-piece 3 is adjacent the front of. the machine where the operator sits, and the bars 2 extend in a rearward direction and may form tracks on which the truck 4 is manually movable toward and from the operator. The truck 4 is provided with tracks 5 and 6 extending transversely of the tracks 2. A writing machine 7 as a suitable construction of ty ewriter, is operatively and manually mova le on the tracks 5 and 6.

The numeral 8 indicates the platen, which is a rigid plate and is adapted to support in writing position a paper record strip or strips coming from a suitable source of supply, as for instance, from the zigzag-folded supply of strip indicated at 9. The supply of strip may rest upon the floor in a box or may otherwise be suitably supported and positioned. The platen 8 is so disposed that the writing machine 7 may move freely thereover both when it is being operated to inscribe the strips and when it is being otherwise manipulated for facilitatingthe general operation of the machine such as threading of the machine with the record strips. In the embodiment illustrated, the platen 8 is pivoted at its frontend at 10 to the cross-piece 3, the rear end of the platen bein adapted to cooperate with the underside of a stationary strip gripping plate 11 which may extend between and be supported by the frame bars 2.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the record strips coming from the supply 9 pass between the lieve tne grip on the record strips.

ported between the bars 2 somewhat below the tion on the platen by the grip between the platen-and the plate 11- and by the straight edge, holding member and strip gripper 12,

which latter is a rigid plate of-the width of the strip adapted to cooperate with the crosspiece 3 to grip the strip. therebetween.- In the embodiment illustrated the plate 12 is carried between the ends ofthe bell crank levers 13 pivoted to the frame, as at 14, their lower ends being connected to a cross-rod 15 by the connecting rods 16, the cross-rod 15 being joined to an arm 17 of an oscillatory shaft 18 supported'in the frame and having an arm 19 connected to a treadle 20 through the rods 21 and 22, the rod 22 being pivoted, as to the floor, at 23, there beinga spring 24 to urge the treadle upwardly in a direction tending to cause the plate 12 to have gripping I efiect on the strips. As the treadle is depressed in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1','theipper plate 12 will be lifted tg re- .platen 8 is a rock shaft 25 having an arm 26 connected to the platen by the link 27, and also having an arm 28'disposed in the slot 29 in one of the connecting rods 16, such rod 16 being resiliently urged to the left, F ig; 1, in a direction to cause the plate 12 to grip the strips. Suflicient play between the slot 29.and the arm 28 is allowed sogthat when the rod 16 is urged to the right by operation of the treadle 20, first the grip of the plate 12' on the record strips is relieved and nary to the feed movement.

promptly thereafter the platen makes a pivotal movement downwardly to relieve the grip at the plate 11. A spring 30 is employed to in e the platen upwardly to cooperate with the p ate 11 to grip the strips. v

The operator, by depressing the treadle, may'relieve the grip on the strips. When the plate'12 has been lifted, the operator may grasp the end of the strip or strips and manu ally draw the strips forwardly so as to feed them from the supply 9, the upper part of the cross-piece 3 being provided with a finger notch 31 to enable the strips to be conveniently and effectively taken hold of prelimi- Between thesupply of strip 9 and the platen is a device which cooperates to control the feed of the strip and to align and register the strip in writing position on the platen. In the embodiment illustrated this registry in the pile, and succeeding each other, in sets of superposed forms, throughout the length of thestrips. The number of strips may vary. Four, five or more may be employed in accordance with the number of co ies desired.

etween the'succeeding forms, each of the strips has transverse weakened lines such as would beprovided perforating the strips on straight lines. This weakening enables the strips to be readily folded into the zigzag arrangement, or pack, and also enables successive writing sections, or forms, to be torn off. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the superposed strips having the weakened lines, pass from the supply 9 over the narrow edge 33 of the aligning and registering bar, andthence pass to writing position on the platen. When the treadle has been depressed to relieve grip on the strips, they are grasped at their front edge by the operator and manually pulled or fed across the platen. to draw the succeeding superposed forms into writing position. This results also in drawing additional strip material from the supply 9 ma loop across the aligning bar 32. As the strip loops or arches across this bar, it tends to fold on the narrow edge 33, and more readily folds at the weakened lines than between said lines or at unweakened portions of the strip. The result is that as the strip or strips are manually drawn across the aligning bar the angle of fold is sharper at the weakened lines than at points between said lines- And it is found that the folding at the weakened line coacts in such a manner with the aligning bar 32 as to increase the resistance to feed movement of the strip to such an appreciable degree that the operator will feel the sudden increase of resistance and in this manner be given a signal that an amount of feed has been et-- fected in accordance with the position of the,

folded weakened line in the strip. Inthe embodiment of strip supply illustrated-the weakened lines are between successive forms in each of the superposed strips, and the bar 32 is set at such apoint in the path of feed and in relation to writing position that when a weakened line registers with the narrow edge 33- of this bar, a form ahead of it, and which is the next succeeding form to be written upon, will have been drawn to writing position on the platen Not only does the increased resistance tov feed movement hereinbefore referred to signal the operator, but

the uniform feed movement of the strip is arrested or checked so that a somewhat stronger pull is required to feed the advance forms beyond Writing position.

In the form illustrated the aligning bar 32 is in the nature of a blade having a narrow edge, as a knife edge formed by beveling blade. around which the stripsbend on their way to writing position. At the same time it will be observed that, in the present embodiment, a strong enough pull on the strips will be efi'ective at all times to draw them past the aligning bar' notwithstanding the arresting effect of this bar, and hence efficient feeding of the full length of the strip so as to bring all the successive forms to writing position is not interfered with.

In case the strip supply 9' is not so normally disposed that the strips naturally loop around the aligning bar 32, or in case for any reason it is desired to regulate and adjust the angle of folding of the strips around this bar, the strip guide rods 34 and provided. In the embodiment illustrated the guiderods 34 and 35 are cross members of yokes pivotally' mounted in a carrier 36, hereinafter described, each yoke having a slotted sector 37 cooperating with a locking screw 38 on the carrier, by means of which these guide rods maybe set to cause the feed force on the strip more or less strongly to press the strip against the narrow edge 33 of the aligning bar. As illustrated, the guide rods 34 and 35 are disposed on opposite sides of the aligning bar 32 and in planes below the narrow edge 33 so as to cooperate to effect reverse folding of the strip and, by the means just referred to, are adjustable to different positions transversely of said edge.

In case the strips have unduetendency to recede from the narrow edge, even though arching across said edge, a guide is provided to cooperate with the strips adjacent the edge 33 to retain the strip in proximity to said edge. In the embodiment illustrated, the

- strip guide plate 39 is provided for this purpose, being rotatably mounted on the guide rod 35. Preferably the mounting of this plate is such that it exercises no great pressure toward said edge but merely keeps the strip material adjacent the edge 33,- there being sufiicient space between the guide plate 39.and the edge 33 to permit the free movement of the strips and relatively free arch-Y;

ing of the same adjacent the edge vThis result may be etfectedby having a frictional pivotal connection between the plate 39 and the guide rod 35 so that the plate 39 will remain in the position where set except against relatively strong pressure tending to displace it.

The numeral 40 indicates one of the strip gauges adjustable along the bar 32 for the purpose of coacting with the edge of the-strip or strips to center more of these strip gauges, one on either side of the strip. are usually employed. 7

In the specific embodiment illustrated the aligning bar 32 is made of metal, its upper edge being bevelled to'prcvide the narrow edge 33 hereinbefore referred to. The numeral 36 indicates a rigid carrier also of metal and comprising the two side pieces or lates 41 joined by relatively heavy connectmg piece 42, the whole providing the car- 35 are them on the bar. Two or y rier frame. The bar 32 closely engages slots so as to be firmly held in place, although it may be removed when desired. The numerals 44 indicate guides on the inner faces of the frame bars 2. These guides form tracks on which the carrier 36 ismounted for adjustment toward andfrom the platen so that aligning bar 32 may be set at dificrent distances from writing position'and so that when the advance portions of the strips are in writing position, weakened lines thereof will register with the narrow edge 33. The distances between the weakened lines in the stri s may vary, as when the printed forms or ills are longer or shorter, and the adjustment described enables the narrow edge to be set in position to align for difi'erent length bills. The guideways, or tracks 44 are removably held in stationary position on the frame bars 2 by screw bolts 45 passing through apertures provided therefor in said frame bars, and threaded into the tracks 44, the front end of the tracks 44 having depending arms through which passes a pointed set screw 46 which engages the bars 2 and cooperates to prevent tilting of the tracks 44. Or the tracks 44 may be held in position in any suitable and etficient way. The tracks 44 have tongues 47 which may engage counterpart grooves in the plates 41, so that the carrier is effectively retained on the tracks and permitted to adjust thereon. The carrier may be held in the posit-ion to which it is adjusted, by the set screw 49.

As the superposed strips are fed across the aligning bar, the narrow edge of this bar not only coacts to effect sharper folding at the weakened lines than at unweakened portions ofvthe strip, but. the strips tend to move relative to each other adjacent this narrow edge and to align themselves on the weakened lines coincident with said edge. This is especially the case when the arching of the strips across the narrow edge is relatively sharp and the disposition of the strips such as to gravitate toward said edge. In this wise, even though the weakened lines be somewhat out of alignment, the narrow edge coacts'to cause them to approach correct'alignment, and in most cases only a few feed movements will have been made before correct registry ,on the aligning bar will have been upper edges.

platen 8 is the box 55 to hold the roll of transon the underlying record strips.

fer paper, as carbon paper, to be interposed between the record strips to copy the writing Suitable provision is made for holding the transfer sheets in place so as not to interfere with the movements of the truck 4, as for instance by providing slots 56 in the bars 2 below their In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 a pair of aligning bars, corresponding to the bar 32, is used. The construction of each bar is similar to that hereinbefore explained, except that theadditional aligning bar, indicated at 60, Fig. 5 is disposed at the opposite face of the strips from the bar 32, and points in the opposite direction. As illustrated, the angle of fold over the additional bar points downwardly, whereas the angle of fold'over the other bar 32 points upwardly. Each of these bars is independently supported for adjustment along the track 44, and they are set at such a distance apart that they register with different weakened lines of the strips when the advance writing sections are in' writing position on the platen. The showing in Fig. 5 is largely diagrammatic but it will be understood that the arrangement and construction of the two aligning devices are the same as hereinbefore described. When the record strips are of great flexibility or are of unusually soft and flexible material, the

' use of a plurality of aligning bars will promote the efficiency of alignment. And when these two bars are set onebelow the other as illustrated in Fig. '5, the strips are bent or folded at a plurality of points, with-the result that the acuteness of folding may be lessened so as not to create such great traction on the softer and weaker strip material. The form registering apertures and 51 maybe provided near theadvance end of each f for1n,' so that it is only required to move the writing machine rearwardly a short distance in order to enable the operator to inspect these apertures to observe the character of alignment. I

The operation will be understood from the foregoing but may be described briefly as fol-.

lows:The strips coming from the supply of strip are drawn beneath the guide bar 35, over the aligning bar 32, beneath the guide bar 34,- thence over the platen and between the same and the'gripper plate 11 and thence between the upper face of the cross-piece 3 and the gripper plate 12, the operator having previously lifted the plate 12 and depressed the platen 8 by pressing the treadle 20 down. The strips will either be substantlally al gned .as they came from the supply, or may be brought into alignment by the operator in the operation of threading the strips in the machine. It 'is, of course, to be understood that carbon transfer sheets will be interposed between adjacent superposed strips. U on releasing the treadle the springs hereinbe ore referred to will cause the strips to be firmly gripped and held in writing position on the platen. The writing machine, as the typewriter referred to, will be moved to proper position over the platen and operated'to inscribe the uppermost strip, the type moving down to make the inscription. -After the writingis completed, the operator depresses the treadle 20. This results in first elevating the gripper plate'12 so that the operator may grasp the superposed ends of the assemblage of strips through the notch 31. Further depression of the treadle then results in freeing the strips from thevgrip of the co-operating platen and plate 11, and the strips will then be in condition to be drawn, or fed simultaneously by the operator across the platen to bring the next succeeding printed set of forms, as bill heads, into writing position on the platen. The operator will grasp the strips firmly and will exert suflicient pull to overcome the resistance to feedmovement offered by the aligning baron account of fold at the weakened line in the strips. Having overcome this temporary resistance the strips are readily pulled forward with substantially constant resistance until the next succeeding weakened lines of thestrips register with the aligning bar, whereupon the resistance to advance movement suddently increases and the advance movement is checked, thus also signalling to or notifying the operator that a suflicient famount'of feed has been made, this amount ing position on the platen. The advanced in scribed sections may then, if desired, readily be torn from the supply on the weakened'lines adjacent the front of the machine. The above manipulationwill be followed for each su ccesslve set of writing sections, as will be understood. Any departure of the superposed strips fromregistration may be observed by inspecting the apertures 50 and 51 of the advance writing sections. By adjusting the po' sition of the carrier the aligning bar may be accurately set in relation to the platen so that the weakened lines will register with the said bar at the proper intervals from the platen. By adjusting the position of the guide bars 34 and 35. the angle of the arch in the strips over the aligning bar may be varied and increased or decreased as may be desirable to cause the superposed strips at this point to align with each other on the narrow edge of said bar. It will be seen that the natural resiliency ofv the strips causes them toarch over the aligning bar in a generally curved path of a low degree of curvature except when out departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mater contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a platen adapted to support in writing position a record strip manually fed thereover, manually operable means for holding the strip in writing position and releasing the same for feeding, a controlling device having a narrow stripregistering edge across which the strip is fed to writing position, said edge being disposed. so that the strip is bent therearound on its Way to Writing position, and a guide adapted to cooperate with the strip adjacent said edge to retain the strip in proximity thereto.

2. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination, a platen adapted to support in writing position a record strip manually fed thereover, manually operable means for holding the strip in writing position and releasing the same for feeding, a controlling device having a narrow stripregistering edge across which the strip is fed to writing position, and means adapted so to guide said strip around said edge to writing positionthat the feed fo rce on the strip more strongly presses the strip against said edge at lines corresponding to the weakened lines than at unweakened portions of the strip.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a frame, a platen on said frame, a Writing machine operatively movable relative to said frame above said platen, means adapted simultaneously to hold a plurality of superposed record strips in writing position on said platen and to release the same for feeding including a treadle, a. guide on said frame, a carrier adjustable on said guide to alter its distance from said platen, and a strip feed-controlling device mounted on said carrier including a narrowedged strip-registering blade on which the tween the supply of strip and said platen.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in-combination, a flat platen adapted to support in writing position a record strip adapted for manual feed to writing position thereon, said strip having a series of trans verse weakened lines and printed forms, and a device in rear of said platen having a narrow edge on which said strip is adapted sharply to fold at the weakened lines, said edge being at a point in' the path of feed, such that said folding increases the resistance to feed move ment of the strip and checks an advance form in writing position.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a fiat platen adapted to support in writing position a record strip adapted for manual feed to Writing position thereon, and means, including a strip aligning member in rear of said platen, adapted reversely to fold said strip and to fold the same at the weakened lines, as the strip is fed over the platen.

6. A device adapted to regulate manual feed of record strips having transverse weakened lines, including an aligning-member over which the strip is fed, said member having a narrow edge on which the strip, as it is fed, is adapted transversely and sharply to fold at intervals in the length of the strip, and means adapted to cooperate with the strip to cause it to arch across and be drawn toward said edge as it is fed, including a guide adapted to cooperate with the strip adjacent said edge to retain the strip in proximity to said edge.

7. A device adapted to regulate feed of record strips and including, in combination, a strip aligning bar and strip guides, one in front and the other in rear of said bar, each spaced from and adj ustably movable relative to said bar, and means adapted to retain said guides in adjusted positions.

8. A device adapted t5 regulate feed of record strips and including, in combination, a strip aligning bar, a stationary strip guide at one side of and below the aligning edge of said bar, and a movably supported strip guide closely adjacent said edge.

9. A device adapted regulate feed of record strips and includ' combination, two sharp-e d strip-i ning bars spaced apart longilur nally of the path of the record strips, one 0 one side of said strips and the other on the opposite side of said strips.

10. A device adapted to regulate manual feed of record strips including, in combination, an aligning liar disposed transversely of the path of feed of the strip having a strip-registering e a. carrier adjustable longitudinally of said path and on which said bar is stationsrily mounted, guide rods mounted on. said rrier on opposite sides of said. below saw edge, and means adapted Nil to adjust said rodsv to different positions transversely of said edge.

11. A device adapted to regulate manual feed of record strips including, in combination, a frame having a stationary guideway, a carrier adjustable on said guideway, an aligning bar having a knife-edge, stationarily'but removably held in slotted portions of said carrier, and strip guide-rods below said edge mounted on said carrier.

12. A device adapted to regulate manual feed of record strips including, in combination, a frame having a stationary gui'deway,

a carrier adjustable on said guideway, an aligning bar having a knife-edge, stationarily but removably held in slotted portions of said carrier, strip guide-rods below said edge mounted on said carrier, and a strip guide plate rotatably mounted on one of said rods adapted to lie close to said edge.

13. A device adapted toregulate manual feed of record strips including, in combination, a frame having a stationary guideway, a carrier adjustable on said guideway, an aligning bar having a knife-edge, stationarily but removably held in slotted portions of said carrier, and a strip guide plate movably connected to said carrier adapted to lie close to said edge.

14. A device adapted to regulate manual feed of record strips including, in combination, a frame having a stationary guideway, a carrier adjustable on said guideway, an ali ing bar having a knife-edge, station ari y but removably held in slotted portions .of said carrier, strip guide-rods below said edge mounted on said carrier, a strip guide plate rotatably mounted on one of said rods adapted to lie close to said edge, and one or more strip gauges adjustable along said edge. In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

EDWARD KIRBY BOTTLE. 

